The Spirits of the Jewel
by Mogira
Summary: The Inu-brothers have been hearing a valuable influence in their mind. Her goddess voice aids them in battle and acts as their conscience. But will the goddess be able to keep priority between Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru in order to salvage her jewel?
1. Help From A Woman

DISCLAIMER: Unfortunately, I do not own Inu-Yasha or any of it's characters. I wish I did, but I don't. This is just a fanny-ficcy. Whoo! Shake that fanny! XD

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know, In the summary it says something about someone named Maki. Whoever that is, right? Yes, even though her name is Maki, this fanfiction is about the elaboration of the Priestess Midoriko's character. You'll understand soon. -

"SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT!" Kagome cried at a decibel she's not sure she had ever reached before. Inuyasha was smacked to the ground with such force, a grove in the dirt below him was formed. Then, of coarse, to top it all off, gravity's pull finally got a hold of the boulder above him and it fell onto his back with a ton of weight. Inuyasha winced in pain from beneath the rock, still shocked that timid Kagome could be so cruel.

Kagome made one last defying "Humf!" before jumping into the magic well, returning to her normal era. Inuyasha was left to lay there in pain, pinned beneath this huge rock, as he called out for Kagome. He called her name quietly enough so that no one else outside the clearing's range would be able to hear him. His pride didn't need anyone knowing the GREAT INUYASHA needed help! His ego was much too large to be degraded by some woman helping him.

"Do you need some help?" A calm woman's voice whispered. Inuyasha wasn't sure if he actually heard someone offer their help or if it was just a voice in his head, imagining what Kagome would say if she was the 'timid girl' Inuyasha thought she was. Either way, the voice sounded quite familiar.

In any case, Inuyasha mumbled "Ya, like you can help." He didn't need Kagome, or any other woman, to help him at _anything_. Let _alone_ the women lifting a huge boulder off his back.

Then he suddenly felt the immense weight of the boulder disappear within a fraction of a second. It might have just disappeared, as he felt all it's force vanish within an instant.

Inuyasha opened his eyes to find a young woman looking down at him with waist-long, nicely trimmed black hair. She wore a white Kimono with highlight blue on the collar and sleeves. Around her waist was a large matching highlight-blue scarf that had two wing-like banners with red trimming tied to the back. Her 1 inch platform boots when up to just below her knees and the fabric resembled leather.

The woman leaned down and touched Inuyasha's cheek lightly with the tips of her fingers. She smiled at him tranquilly, though her navy-blue eyes lined looked as though she had seen much chaos and sorrow throughout her life.

Inuyasha blushed slightly, but could do nothing more, as he was paralyzed with pain.

He was about to ask who the woman was when the girl's solidity began to fade. He could now see the sun-soaked trees which blew leisurely in the wind behind her. Her vanishing state grew, until the remainder of her outline disappeared into fluttering blue glitter. The dancing orbs of ocean-blue drifted around Inuyasha until his back pain become unbearable and he went limp, blacking out in his grooved hole in the ground.


	2. Lady Kaede's Hut

Disclaimer: Yes. Fanfiction. Not a spoiler. It's called a fanfiction because I am a fan. Writing something fictional. Mmmyes.

((Author's Note: So, how do you like it so far? I know, that chapters are short, but I want to make sure I get the episodes in proper order. Lucky I have time to write _anything_! The chapters will gradually get longer (I hope ;;) and my writing skills will improve...eventually. If anyone has any suggestions, or wants to point out typos, or noticed episode errors (that's an important one!) please tell me! Please PLEASE review! THE POWER OF RIKU COMPELS YOU! O.O Thankies!))

Consciousness began to return to Inuyasha, but along with it came the pain. He strained his eyes into focus and observed his surroundings. He was in Lady Kaede's hut, with Kaede calmly stirring a sweet-scented concoction in her pot. Inuyasha was laying on a mat with bandages tightly wrapped around his chest and waist.

"What the hell am I doing here!?" Inuyasha demanded. "Ah, I see ye have awoken, Inuyasha." Kaede replied calmly as she kept her focus on the pot. "Answer the question, old woman" the hanyou growled.

"When I found ye, ye where unconscious beside the sacred well. A small white cat had lead me to ye. Tell me, Inuyasha, what were ye doing there?"

"Not like it's any of your business, but Kagome lashed out on me then ran off to her own time period." Inuyasha retorted, with a somewhat hurt tone to his voice. "Inuyasha," Kaede sighed, "When will ye learn that ye need Kagome in order to find the sacred jewel shards. Simply wait for Kagome to return. Ye need to learn some patience."

"Hey, it wasn't my fault, she started it!" Inuyasha complained, wincing slightly at a sudden stab of pain in his back. Kaede simply sighed heavily and continued to stir the contents of her pot.

They both remained silent for while. This gave Inuyasha the opportunity to re-run in his head what happened, and he remembered the woman he saw. Perhaps the woman was only his imagination? Whoever it was, it didn't look like anyone he had seen before. Though she _was_ _somehow_ familiar to him, as if he had heard that voice before, or once caught a wisp of her unusual scent. Was she a demon? He didn't think so, but he was concentrating so much on his back pain it was hard to concentrate on any details.

Inuyasha sighed silently. He tried his best to roll on his side without hurting himself. He finally gave up on trying to figure out who the woman was, and drifted to sleep.

_About a month past without another glimpse of the unknown woman. But now Inuyasha noticed an occasional whisper in his head, guiding him in battle and giving him advice, like somewhat of a third conscience. The whisper reminded him of her voice, but Inuyasha, being the simpleton he is, thought nothing of it. Until something jogged his memory..._


	3. Origin of the Shikon Jewel

DISCLAIMER: I disclaim. 'nuff said.

"The Four Souls are Aramitama, Megimetama, Kushimetama, and Sakimetama. Aramitama is courage, Megimetama is friendship, Kushimetama is wisdom, and Sakimetama, love." Miroku explained.

Finishing his speech, Miroku looked around at his comrades expressions. His gaze fell on Inuyasha, in which Miroku began to smirk. Inuyasha was completely dumb-founded. He looked like a complete retard, trying to figure out and process the information given.

"Ugh, my head hurts!" Shippo now complained, banging his skull. "I'm sorry, am I going too far over your head with this _deep _stuff?" Miroku asked, still staring at Inuyasha.

"Look, I don't care what the _stupid_ jewel's origins are, I just want the shikon jewel to become a full fledged demon, and that's all." Inuyasha snarled. With this, Inuyasha began to rise off the ground. He hovered in the air for a few seconds.

"What the f-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH" He echoed down the cave as he was whisked away and thrown out of the cave entrance. "It seems people who talk of selfish gain with the jewel are thrown out of the cave." Miroku chuckled. "That must be Midoriko's version of sit." Shippo giggled.

Kagome knew Inuyasha was going to be in a rotten modd after that. "We better get going..." she sighed and turned to leave. Miroku Shippo and Sango followed suit. Kilala, after one parting glance, followed behind them.

"After Priestess Midoriko and the Demon's souls where locked in the shikon no tama, no one could protect the powerful jewel from demons seeking that power. The Shikon Jewel went through the hands of many humans and demons. My grandfather slayed a demon who had the Jewel, but as a price, he and many, many others died. The Jewel was fouled with evil. It was when they gave it into the keepings of a young priestess with extraordinary powers, Kikyo, and the jewel was magically purified." Sango explained inside the hut.

"_What an amazing ability, Priestess Midoriko could actually hoist the evil power in demons and convert it into light, leaving them helpless!_" Kagome thought. ((can you tell she wasn't listening?))

Kagome stared at the sleeping shippo in her hands, combing his puff-ball tail through her fingers. "_Seven days and seven nights she fought the demon. She must be the strongest priestess who ever lived..._"

((AUTHOR'S NOTE: YAY! Two chapters in one day! LOVE ME! :3 Anyway, gawd did that Shikon Jewel information take me long to find. I'll only continue to research on one condition. You review. You review like you've never reviewed before. REVIEW! I think Kagome has ADD. Oh, and Inuyasha is on the roof of the hut. He got pissed after Midoriko threw him out of the cave like a rag doll. Teehee!))


	4. The Limestone Cave

DISCLAIMER: I feel like disclaimin' toniiiigghhhtt do-do-do discaimin' tooooniiigghhhtt! I mean...today! XD

((AUTHOR'S NOTE: Dang, I'm on a roll here! Expect another chapter (REAL LONG one) very soon! And it's all thanks to your reviews! They give me motivation to continue writing. Keep up the great reviewingness! n.n))

Kilala padded her way down the narrow cave. As she neared the chamber of the rock-demon and Midoriko, the little flea jumped off her back. "Thank you for bringing me here, Kilala. And thank you, Priestess, for giving me permission to enter this sacred place" Myoga the flea humbled graciously.

The first time Myoga had tried to enter, the priestess stopped him with her barrier in front of the cave entrance. He simply wanted to unlock the secret of the sacred jewel, and his greed allowed him no entrance. But Myoga had apologized and asked for forgiveness. And he brought Kilala and the sacred jewel along, which counts for points as well.

Myoga took the jewel-necklace off from around Kilala's neck and began to jump up the huge rock demon. He landed at the top, in front of priestess Midoriko's limestone body. He examined the paralyzed human.

"She is very beautiful," Myoga whispered to himself, "and also very powerful. She was able to convert the darkness in demons into light, and she also created the shikon jewel." ((I think someone's trying a _little_ too hard to suck up, in fear of getting thrown out of the cave again!))

"This must be where the Jewel shot out of her body." Myoga thought, as he leaned towards the hole in her chest to get a better look. But as he leaned closer, his grip on the necklace attached to the jewel was slipping. The necklace untied itself of his grip and tumbled down the rock sculpture. Myoga gasped, just realizing he had dropped it, and looked down to see the jewel fall into a crevice of the sculpture.

The jewel began to pulsate. The whole chamber was illuminated by it's lavender glow. Kilala began to growl in warning. The soul of the demon began to rise from it's stone prison! It's eyes glowed malevolently and it's claws extended, as if being a wild-cat about to pounce.

"Kuso!," Myoga exclaimed "the demon's soul is reacting to the Shikon Jewel! The demon is being revived!"

Kilala transformed to her demon form and pounced at the creature, aiming straight for it's face. But the demon had the advantage of size, and easily caught Kirara in it's grip. It squeezed Kirara like a banana, and she roared in utter pain.

As Myoga leaned over the side to see what was happening, he lost his balance and fell down the rock statue. He would always flee at the first hint of trouble, but now he had nowhere to run. It was his fault the demon had returned, he dropped the sacred jewel shard and awoke the demon's soul trapped inside.

Myoga landed on the ground, and looked up in horror at the demon towering above him. Kirara roared in pain again, but this time, someone answered her plea.

The soul of Priestess Midoriko began to rise up out of her body. She glared down at the demon and began to unsheathe her sword. Myoga stared in awe at the woman standing on top of the limestone sculpture. He swore it was priestess Midoriko, but how was it possible?

Midoriko fully drew her sword and jumped at the demon. With one foul slash, the demons soul shrieked in pain. It's grip loosened on Kirara, and Kirara quickly took the chance to escape and flew to the ground.

The demon let out one last defiant roar before it was sucked back into the jewel. The action reminded Myoga much of Miroku's wind-tunnel.

When Midoriko landed on the ground, her appearance began to fade. Her hair turned silver and her while Kimono stained to red. She slowly turned into Inuyasha! Might it have been an illusion?

Inuyasha walked towards Kirara. "I heard the commotion and came to check it out," Inuyasha explained, sifting through Kirara's fur. "I only know one idiot that would have done something this stupid."

He found Myoga hiding in her fur and plucked him off. "I-it was Kirara who took me and the jewel shards into the cave! I-I was asleep! It's her fault!" Myoga pleaded. Kirara growled, proving his lie false.

"I don't know why I bothered saving you at all!" Inuyasha growled. He shook Myoga around in his fist and whipped him at the cave wall. Myoga screamed and splattered against the rock. Inuyasha muttered insults and began to walk down the cave corridor. "Oh ya!? Well you _didn't_ save me, Priestess Midoriko did!" Myoga insisted. Inuyasha kept walking. "H-hey! Wait for me!" Myoga called out and hopped after him.

Kirara watched Inuyasha fade into the blackness of the cave corridor, then turned around to look at the stone bodies. Her eyes glittered with swelling tears as she looked up at her old friend. She curled up on the ground and slept under the watch of her master.

((A/N: Unusually Long, huh? I know. Er...well, at least for me it's long n.n;; The next one is probably going to be even longer. I might divide it into two chapters, but I'm not sure. Oh, and I know it's spelt Kirara, but to make things easier: Kilala= housecat form & Kirara= demon form. Kk? :P))


	5. Meet Sesshoumaru Part1

DISCLAIMER: Hello, Mr.Anderdson. I disclaim. Er... from both Inuyasha AND the Matrix. Heh.

((A/N: I'm dividing it into two chapters. The next half probably isn't going to be up until the day after tomorrow, I got to get my schedule from school. Sorry! But I might finish it up tomorrow if you REVIEW! n.n thankies!))

"Hey, look at this, Lord Sesshoumaru! If I turn my staff upside down, it looks like a bat with a black hat! Hey, that rhymes!" Jaken chimed in his annoying squeaky voice, attempting to keep himself amused. They had been riding Ah and Un the entire afternoon, and Jaken was quite bored. It was already long past nightfall, but still Sesshoumaru refused to land. Unlike Jaken, Sesshoumaru didn't need very much sleep at all.

Jaken waited for a reply in utter silence. He waited. And waited. "Can we land now, please!?"

"No, Jaken, and if you ask me again it will be your life." Sesshoumaru scowled in annoyance. "Well, can you tell me where we're going then?" Jaken whimpered, not wanting to die just yet.

The Lord of the Western Lands remained silent. Honestly, he wasn't sure exactly where he was going either. Sesshoumaru knew he just wanted to catch up with Inuyasha. The Tetsusaiga is meant to be his birthright, and the second he got a chance, Sesshoumaru would steal it back from Inuyasha.

They flew in silence for a while. Then something in the distance caught Sesshoumaru's sharp golden eyes. A purple light emitted from a small mountain directly in front of them in the distance. The lavender glow illuminated the sky, making the clouds look like purple waves swishing and streaking across a pool of stars. The light's glow intensified at a very fast rate, then it disappeared within an instant, as quickly as it had came.

Sesshoumaru's eyes strained to adjust at the fast change of moon light to bright then returning to dim. "That was an odd sight..." Jaken mumbled as he stared up at the now black sky. Black excluding the intense array of stars, of coarse.

"Follow that light." Sesshoumaru whispered to Ah and Un. They obediently quickened their pace.

When landing on the mellow-mountain's ledge, they where face to face with the mouth of a somewhat large cave.

Sesshoumaru dismounted and took a few steps towards the entrance, but stopped at the mouth, his instincts telling him there was magic nearby. Jaken pranced up beside him to see why he had stopped walking.

"What is it, me Lord?" Jaken questioned. Sesshoumaru shook off the uneasy feeling and slowly stepped into the cave. Seeing a purple Youki ((A demon's energy aura)) surround him as he walked through, Sesshoumaru turned around to see if the same aura was surrounding Jaken.

"Coming?" The Youkai ((demon)) taunted. Jaken staggered slightly than ran towards to entrance, only to run face-first into the purple barrier which guarded the cave. Sesshoumaru couldn't help but smirk at Jaken's failure. "_Curious.._" He thought as he turned around and continued to walk down the tunnel.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, you're leaving without me!?" Jaken called after him. "Waaaiittt! Don't leave me out here! Humf... you always leave me behind.." Jaken mumbled and sat himself down beside Ah and Un.


	6. Meet Sesshoumaru Part2

((A/N: Thankies go to Sato-Yuki for helping me with this chapter that I got stuck on/too lazy to write. Sorry this chapter is a bit late, but it's long! So blah! Sesshoumaru talks too much T.T))

An unfamiliar scent swept by Sesshoumaru's face. How was it possible for a cave to have a breeze? The wind carried some sort of mix between berries and something slightly burnt. The scent of Inuyasha was also quite fresh in the rock corridor.

Sesshoumaru continued to walk down the dark tunnel. His instincts told him someone was watching. Sesshoumaru extended his claws under his Kimono's sleeve, just to make sure if something attacked him, he would not be caught off guard.

The tunnel's walls began to expand on all sides until he was in the entrance of a large chamber. A huge stone statue towered above to nearly the ceiling of the cave. In front of him, a large wild cat growling menacingly. Sesshoumaru glared at the cat, the stench of Inuyasha emitting from it's white fur. The demon took a step towards him with a large fiery paw, the fur on it's back on end.

It was obviously about to attack. Sesshoumaru readied his poison flower claw to counterattack. They glared at each other. An ancient rivalry between cats and dogs. They both readied themselves to make the first move.

"Wait!" A fair woman's voice echoed through the cave, and not a moment too soon. The demon-cat instantly withdrew it's aggression, listening loyally to the unknown woman's voice.

Sesshoumaru scanned the cave to see where the voice had came from, but the echoing rock walls made the voice bounce off all sides, making it's original location impossible to find.

The wild-cat sat down obediently. It looked to it's right side. Sesshoumaru's eyes followed what it was looking at. A woman with black hair and a white Kimono emanated out of thin air, her hand stroking the large cat's forehead. The feline purred with devotion.

Sesshoumaru blinked in recollection of what just happened. No mere human can appear and disappear whenever they please! The woman's navy eyes broke from the cat and shifted over to Sesshoumaru. She began to walk toward him.

"Hello" she said, continuing to narrow the distance between them.

"Who are you?," Sesshoumaru demanded "and where did you learn such witchcraft, to appear and disappear out of no where?"

"I am Priestess Midoriko, though my Goddess name is Maki."

Sesshoumaru quirked an eyebrow in amusement. "Goddess?" This woman wasn't any goddess. Even if she were, gods don't appear on earth, with lowly humans.

She stopped walking in front of him. "Why yes, I'm Maki, the goddess of the moon. I am one of the seven almighty gods whom rule over all other life."

"If you're so high and mighty, what are you doing here?" Sesshoumaru taunted sarcastically.

"Hundreds of years ago, demons rained supreme on earth. They destroyed villages and killed anything in it's path. The world was falling into chaos, so my fellow gods sent me down to earth to fix the problem, I was posing as a Miko. ((priestess))."

Sesshoumaru scoffed at such a preposterous tale. "You really expect I, taiyoukai ((demon lord)) of the western lands, to believe the gods sent a fellow goddess in the lowly form of a mere human?"

Maki smirked at Sesshoumaru's obvious grudge towards humans. "I don't _expect _you to believe me, Lord Sesshoumaru. You asked and I simply answered to the best of my abilities. But would I have been able to appear beside Kirara I was just a human and not part goddess?"

Sesshoumaru took a step backwards in surprise and narrowed his eyes at the sarcastic priestess. "How did you know my name?"

"You are under one of the four categories that make up the souls of the shikon jewel. I am the creator of that jewel."

Sesshoumaru; silence.

Maki; sigh.

"I know your name because I can talk to you in your mind. You might have not noticed me, but I've been there all along. I am your conscience."

Sesshoumaru glowered. "I do not have a conscience, nor do I have any need for one."

Maki giggled slightly. "Without a conscience, you would have been dead long ago."

Sesshoumaru smirked slightly at the woman's incapacity. "You think I need to rely on a stupid woman's voice in my head to keep me alive?"

Maki shot a fierce glare at Sesshoumaru, now becoming slightly annoyed that he called this woman stupid. "I reason you would be dead by now is because when you fought with Inuyasha, I was the one telling you his next attack and what to watch out for."

"So? You didn't _need_ you to help me. Even if you didn't, my weak halfing brother would never be able to kill me."

"With the Tetsusaiga he could."

"The Tetsusaiga is rightfully mine."

"We don't always get what we want."

"Humf." Sesshoumaru grinned slightly. What a stupid conversation this was. He looked up at the limestone demon behind her. Then at the top, he noticed the figure of a woman. "Who is that?" He asked. Maki turned around and to see what he was asking about. "That's my body, trapped in stone when the shikon jewel imprisoned my soul."

"Are you not standing right here?" Sesshoumaru asked, poking her shoulder just to make sure. Maki rubbed her shoulder and turned to look at him. "I'm a goddess, remember? I can basically do anything I please."

Sesshoumaru raised his eyebrows "Then why, of all things, pose as a human?"

Maki rolled her eyes. "Oh yes, pose as a _demon_ to kill _demons_ and save _humans_. That really makes sense. Without my goddess powers I would be nothing more than human anyway."

"Why are you telling me all this?"

"Because I thought you would like to know. _Would_ you like to know?"

Sesshoumaru shrugged slightly and looked back at the sculpture. "Do whatever you please."

Maki smirked on how the youkai always tried to seem careless of everything besides himself. But he certainly wasn't fooling her.

"In this cave, about 500 years ago, a huge battle raged between me and hundreds on demons. The battle continued for seven days and seven nights. On the seventh night, my power had been drained from the continuous fighting. You see, I had the ability to convert and negative power in demons into light energy, therefore rendering them helpless. But this ability is not easy to control."

This caught Sesshoumaru's attention. "You could change the evil in demons into light?"

Maki grinned slightly and nodded. It was like saying 'candy' to a child and instantly catching their short attention span.

"But this unique power was not fast enough for the particular demon whom caught me in his jaws" Maki said, pointing up to her stone form, which was caught in the largest demon's mouth.

"This demon was created from many demons possessing the only human who had my weakness," Maki's finger glided down to the chest of the demon, in which a man's head was protruding out of. "This man was secretly in love with me, and the demons used him as a vessel to get close to me." Maki put her hand down.

"In a final attempt to vanquish the demon, the Shikon Jewel burst out of my chest, and I entrapped his soul into the jewel, along with mine."

"Interesting story," Sesshoumaru admitted, "but once again, what does this have to do with me?"

"Everything on earth is categorized in one of the four souls of the Shikon Jewel. Humans, demons, plants, even rocks, have their place in the jewel. Including you, Sesshoumaru."

"So then, what category am I in? And why would you tell me all this, and not all the other humans, demons, plants and rocks out there?"

Maki smiled sweetly at him. "Those answers will be saved for another day. I believe there's an annoying little toad waiting patiently outside for you."

Sesshoumaru smiled slightly at the joke. He _was _an annoying little toad indeed. With one last glance at the limestone woman at the top of the cave, Sesshoumaru turned on his heel and began to walk down the dark corridor and into the barely rising sun.

((A/N: Just some things I want to clear up. So now you know why I said Maki in the intro! I know that's not her name, but too bad. My fanny ficcy. I know that she isn't the goddess of the moon, but too bad. My fanny ficcy. And I know how I described her appearance in chap1 isn't what she really looks like, but too bad. My fanny ficcy. And finally, I know this isn't what happens in the story and some attitudes (cough SESSHOUMARU cough) aren't very realistic or precise, but TOO BAD! Your-- I MEAN MY-- fanny ficcy! So REVIEW! ;.; My hand hurts.))


	7. The Helpful Priestess

DISCLAIMER: And the lord said; "I disclaim." And so it was.

((Authors Note: Ok... this is basically a filler chapter with Inuyasha talking to himself. Even though we all know what goes through his mind anyway!! Heheheh...

....no....just...no.

So this chapter is a short one that's supposed to justify that little "_Until something jogged his memory..." _bit in Chapter 2. I'm going to say this chapter finishes VOLUME 1 of 'TSOTJ' W00T! V1 COMPLETED!!

...lol...TSOTJ...it's like BINGO.......was his name 'o! XD))

"_The ability to turn evil in demons into light... with a power like that, turning myself into a full fledged demon would become a weakness instead of my strength!"_ Inuyasha worried to himself. He crossed and re-crossed his opposite legs in frustration as he stared up at the stars, unable to get any sleep. The many questions and recollections had been squirming their way into his mind every time he tried to fall slumber. He had so much to think about, it was like trying to stop the wind from blowing.

"Feh, that old miko is dead anyway. And she was the only one who had that power, so I've got nothing to worry about." Inuyasha tried to convince himself out loud.

"_Ya... she's dead... turned to stone... I saw her... but she's still familiar somehow..._" Inuyasha grumbled lowly in frustration. "_I know I've smelled that scent before... but where!?...and what about...**that face**..._"

Inuyasha's heart skipped a beat. He now remembered where those navy eyes and lavender scent where from. It was the woman who helped him when he was stuck underneath the boulder in front of the magic well. The memory was slightly faded on account of the amount of pain his back had been in, but priestess Midoriko and that helpful woman where one and the same, he knew it.

After getting over the few moments of shock and pride from being able to figure it out, Inuyasha became worried again.

"So she isn't dead... what if she comes after me with that unique power of her's?... No, it won't happen. If she where my enemy, she wouldn't have gotten rid of that boulder...but..."

Inuyasha developed a headache. This was too confusing. "Who cares if she's still alive? It's not like I'm going to run into her again. She was probably just passing by the well, and being the priestess she is, helped someone in need. Ok... that's cleared up... now... how did she disappear into little blue orbs? ARG! MY HEAD HURTS!!!"

UxnxsxyxmxpxaxtxhxextxixcxxPxoxwxexr

End Volume 1


	8. Good Advice

DISCLAIMER: OVERDRIVE THE DISCLAIMING! BEEEP

_SYNTAX ERROR_

WHACKS COMPY It just needed a little love! n.n

((Sorry for the extreme lack of updates lately. To make up, this is a...kind of....big chapter! I'm sorry, I'll try to keep updating as much as I can. But I'm kind of stumped on where to go with this to consume time. I know what I want to happen, but it's too soon. If you got any suggestions on a filler chapter plot, please tell me. I'm seriously dieing here. X.X))

Fiery anger and extreme rage burned in her large chestnut eyes. "I'M GOING HOME, STUPID!!!" Kagome screamed into the air, obviously directed to Inuyasha whom was on top of the paradise bird's mountain, while she was riding Kirara into the setting sun. "YOU'RE SUCH A JERK!" she attempted one last warning before her feminine voice would have been out of reach of even Inuyasha's sharp hearing.

Shippou watched the small silhouette fade into the glare of the orange-tinged sky. "When Kagome gets angry, she's scary!" he shuddered. A slight wind rustled his bushy tail, he shivered and looked away to face Inuyasha. Who there would have expected to see the half demon clinging to a small boulder, as if for dear life. "I-I wasn't ssscared" Inuyasha stammered and griped the large rock ever so tighter. "GO ON! SEE IF I CARE!" He yelled at his limit into the tangerine-luminated clouds. Kagome was most obviously out of ear reach, but Inuyasha gave one feudal attempt to reclaim his dignity. It, of course, went in vain.

-------

A slight wind bristled the suddenly uncalm air. Winter was fast approaching and Inuyasha could tell there was to be snow soon. He rubbed his hands on either side of his arms and shivered slightly. He stared down the hollow well solemnly. Winter is so...cold. He disliked the chill which came packaged with autumn, but quite enjoyed the beautiful multifaceted leaves which laminated the towering trees he often slept in. Thankfully, the western lands did not allow winter to venture for too long. Though he was still hoping they could get this silly adventure over and done with as soon as possible. Then he wouldn't have to travel across these demon ridden lands in search of those damned jewel shards. So the sooner he got back Kagome, the faster he can become a full fledged demon and be done with it. And so he stood, gazing motionless at the sacred well. Unable to decide his next choice.

"_I should just go to her time and apologize... but... no way am I letting that bitch get the glory of receiving an apology when she was the one who stared it. Plus, I didn't do anything!" _Inuyasha yelled in his head and scowled one last time at the well before turning his back and falling limp to lie against it's wooden casing.

"_What did she ever do for me..._"

"Much more than you realize." A woman's voice interrupted. Inuyasha panicked and looked up swiftly. Standing before him was the same fair woman who had rescued him from underneath the boulder, whom Inuyasha now thought to be the creator of the Shikon jewel. Her black hair seemed to have slight brown highlights in the beam of the sun. The solar rays pierced through the baring trees due to the cold and into the well's clearing. Her hair fluttered in the brisk wind, only to slightly tickle at his face as she bent down and leaned in close.

Inuyasha was slightly relieved that it wasn't Kagome, but wondered how the priestess's presence wasn't detected by his sharp ears. Also, the narrow distance between their faces made him quite uneasy.

"It's you again..." he mumbled, his head pressed against the wooden wall of the well in an attempt to widen the gap between his face and hers.

"Hello again, Inuyasha," she smiled blissfully, "Still as stubborn as ever, I see."

"What's that supposed to mean? And who are you, anyway?" Inuyasha blurted out the question which had been burning through his mind for weeks. His stomach clenched in anticipation.

Some hair fell over her shoulder as she tilted her head and giggled slightly. "Why, don't you remember me? I saved you when you somehow got stuck under that large boulder." She smirked, sarcasm littered throughout her voice.

Inuyasha didn't appreciate her sense of humor. "Yea, duh. I'm not that stupid. I'm asking who you are, as in _what your name is_."

The priestess resisted the urge to illustrate on his 'not that stupid' comment. "My true name is Maki, but humans better know me as priestess Midoriko."

"AH-HA! I knew you where her!"

"Guess you'renot _that _stupid after all." The resistance was futile.

"Haw haw haw. Aren't you human? Why do you have two names, huh?"

"Who said I was human?"

"You did!"

"Did I? I don't think so. I believe my exact words where 'humans better know me as priestess Midoriko.' "

"Whatever! You're sure as hell not a demon, or I would smell it. So, what are you?"

"I'm Maki, goddess of the moon."

"Goddess of the moon, eh? So it's your fault I turn human every month?" Inuyasha criticized.

"I suppose so." Maki sighed demurely and retracted her head away, standing straight and looking down at him sternly. "Well?" she questioned.

"Well what?" He retorted, raw stubbornness fueling him to push her patience.

"You know perfectly well what I'm implying. Or why I'm even here, for that matter. Go after Kagome. Go back to her time and apologize."

"Why should I? I don't need her."

"Don't be such a simpleton. You need Kagome to find the Shikon Jewel Shards. _My_ jewel shards. Admit it, the reason you got so angry when Kouga said those things to Kagome was because you where, in some way, jealous. You need her as much as she needs you. You must protect her, Inuyasha. Go and get her." Maki chastised.

Inuyasha pouted angrily and looked away, unable to find the words to argue. He felt a slight tingle start from the top of his head and tickled along his neck, traveling down his spine to throughout his body. He continued to stare off to the woman's right side, unconsciously watching ever so many more leaves fall from their mother tree into the cold, harsh breeze and onto the unforgiving ground.

Maki closed her eyes meditatively and began to fade into translucency. "In time, you'll realize how very much she means to you" the goddess's voice echoed before her body once again dispersed into small blue orbs. Inuyasha broke his stare on the leaves to look up and watch the lights performing their ritual flickers before disappearing into thin air.

They reminded him of snowflakes.

Oh, how he despised winter.

Hits a gloom on the grey...


	9. NonParadise Mountain

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anyone. Except all bishounen. And Tyler.

((The next chapter is finished! My apologies for the extremely long wait. I had to re-write it three times because I kept on losing it. Also, my chapters are getting bigger and more detailed, and I have many other things to do besides my fanfictions. Personally, I think my writing's improved slightly. Hopefully I'll build my skills and complete the next chapter at a reasonable date. Thank you for reading! I really appreciate your reviews:D))

"Me lord, where are you going?" Jaken yelled into the thicket surrounding the clearing. The fire's smoke weaved through the tree's branches and dissolved into the brisk night air.

The figure blended away from the fire's light and enveloped into the shadow of the trees. "I'll be back, I suppose." The figure mumbled before completely camouflaged by the bush.

The little girl broke her stare from the flames and looked up towards the shadows lethargically. She sat close to the lighten logs with her legs up against her chest and her arms wrapped around them.

"Don't leave me…" Faint as they where, Sesshoumaru heard the first words she had ever spoken in front of him. Perhaps it was a mistake to have saved that wretched human girl's life. He didn't turn back.

The moon's rays occasionally pierced through the dense forest as Sesshoumaru walked further from his servant. He looked through a patch of open trees and into the sky above. He studied the stars and sniffed the air, trying to find his bearings. "East" he mouthed as he turned a different direction and burst into a sprint.

Sesshoumaru easily weaved through the collaboration of plants and other things in his way, never pausing from his supersonic haste. The whistle and whip of branches surrounded him as he nimbly darted through the thicket.

Sesshoumaru's travels had never brought him this distance from the land he ruled, though when his father lived he had brought the prince on peace-treaties with lords of other lands. He always despised these travels and did anything in his power to avoid it, but it was his duty as the heir to the kingdom of the west. Since then Sesshoumaru has not left his own soil.

Sesshoumaru breathed in the air blowing at his face. Inuyasha's scent was not very strong, but it was the only thing he had to follow. As the cluster of trees thinned, the ground began to slowly slope uphill. Soon he was agilely skipping off boulders and appearing to be flying up the mountain.

The air began to blow swiftly and he paused on a steep ledge to gather location. The staggering depth of the drop below would unease most, but Sesshoumaru took no care to it and sniffed the chill air.

There wasn't much further until the top of the Paradise Mountain. Inuyasha's scent was still here, along with the scent of wolf's blood. He knew the demon wolf pack was situated somewhere in the east, but this smell was not tied to the memory of his fellow canine demon. This smell was death. Curious to what occurred; Sesshoumaru continued to bound up the inclined mountainside.

The youkai used his legs to absorb the impact as he landed on the summit in the clouds. He observed his surroundings. A single, large clue was seen to show Inuyasha's past presence. The crater was drilled into the center of the peak, with three large claw-like engravings leading to it. Obviously the claw marks where Inuyasha's wind scar. Rightfully Sesshoumaru's windscar. He jumped down into the interior of the gorge to get a better look.

The center of the depth had a few large dried puddles of blood. Sesshoumaru could smell it was the blood of a wolf demon, though it wasn't quite enough blood loss to kill.

The memory of wolf blood and wolf fur had to fairly different odors. In the gorge, he smelt the slight reminisce of wolf fur, which peculiarly reminded him of the stench of death. The death which was all over the orphan girl when he found her lying in the forest, mortally wounded and alone.

He glanced upwards to the wind scars, then back down at the blood. "So, Inuyasha was obviously in a conflict with a wolf demon… whom's scent is much like the girl's…"

"_Impressive deduction, Sesshoumaru." _A woman's voice congratulated in his head. Sesshoumaru was used to Maki's mind-voice by now.

"_Even a simpleton like my half brother could figure it out. Though you couldn't, on account of you don't have the nose for it." _Sesshoumaru replied in his own thoughts. He continued to stare at the dried blood… then his thoughts turned to the little girl back at the campfire, waiting an eternity for his return.

Sesshoumaru did not flinch or break his stare when he felt a brush across the leg of his kimono from one of her fanions. "I have powers far greater than heightened scent." Maki countered, now standing right beside him. "Well, I suppose you don't need me, then." The demon taunted.

Maki shuffled her foot slightly on the rough rocky surface of the mountain's peak. "All powers have their weaknesses, including yours."

Sesshoumaru looked at her in sarcastic surprise. "Oh, really? So your powers have weaknesses as well? I never would have guessed."

Maki always got so wound up when talking with the youkai. Why does he have to be so hostile and dense? Was he always this way? _Will _he always be this way? There was a major reason she really needed him. It had to do with finding out his past, though she was so discouraged with his bigot attitude she doubted she would ever find out.

"Yes, Sesshoumaru." She sighed in a somewhat sarcastic tone, "My powers have weaknesses, which you already know. The large demon who's soul is trapped in the Shikon jewel? It used the body of my previous lover to get close to me. My whole ability is turning the darkness in demons into light, therefore transforming their greatest strength into their mortal weakness."

Sesshoumaru looked away. "Your point being? It's not like you would do that to me, now would you?" he taunted, obviously his goal being to make her even more frustrated. Now, if she would just _leave_.

"No, I don't think so. Though sometimes you're annoying enough to persuade me."

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not the annoying one here."

Maki made Sesshoumaru face her and leaned towards him intimidatingly. She had to stand on tip-toe just for her nose to be the height of his jaw. "Are you saying I'm annoying?" she demanded.

Sesshoumaru huffed and closed his eyes aggravatingly. He could feel instinctively her eyes still intently set upon him. He hated when people stared at him, especially close up. Either they where thinking how handsome he was, or they where thinking what a deviation he was due to his demon markings. Now Sesshoumaru really _was_ getting annoyed, though he retained his cool composure. "No, I'm just saying you harass and disturb on a repeated basis, is all."

Maki blinked at looked at him in awkward surprise. "What? You really think so? You think I'm annoying?" she insisted as he stood there silent.

"I _just _said you weren't. Where you not listening?"

"But you said it sarcastically! You said I disturb you on a repeated basis!"

"Also harass."

Maki huffed infuriatingly and tried her best to size him up. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, my lord, but I AM NOT the annoying one here."

Sesshoumaru opened his eyes and looked straight at her. His gaze made her feel significantly smaller. "I don't have time for this. You, my unpleasant filly, may get as upset as you want. I won't complain and it's doing you no good. But if it makes you feel better, by all means go ahead."

"Oh, so you don't have time for me? Though it _would_ give me the GREATEST of joy to follow you around and argue with you every other sentence like we have been doing so far, I have optional replacements for you and _you_ are the one wasting _my_ time." Maki knew that would probably scratch his ego.

Sesshoumarulooked at her with his eyelids lowered, sarcastically astonished she could get any more irrational."It's more than obvious that you're the one persisting this argument."

Maki stood flat on her feet again. But she still stood there staring. If she didn't say anything, then she was obviously not the one persisting the argument, right? So there to stood, her silent gape making him that much more irritated.

"Then I suppose we don't need to persist this pointless conversation. Don't let me waste your precious time any longer. The only thing I'm doing is stalking my half-brother anyway. So you might as well find yourself a replacement." He summed up, giving her one last icy glare before turning his back and walking towards the mountain's edge. His hair blew lightly in the chilly fall wind before it vanished under the peak.

Maki felt something clutch at her heart. A distraught, frustrated, sorrowful grip which usually did not grasp her so easily. She almost always maintained a cool composure… what could it have been that made her tone so irrational? Could it have been his sarcasm that struck a nerve? Or perhaps it was the fact that his personality and thought process was moderately like her own. That most definitely made her shiver uneasily.

So why, in the back of her mind, did she feel so content?


End file.
